According to statistics, about 52% of the female population in Nigeria is of reproductive age and menstruating, with 25% of them experiencing period poverty. Period poverty refers to a lack of access to safe menstrual products, education and sanitation facilities. This is because safe period
products are pricey, making it difficult for underprivileged girls and women to purchase them. Most of them have to resort to unsafe options prone to cause infections like the use of old clothes during periods. Many girls also suffer from stigma during their periods due to a lack of menstrual education and awareness.
Many organizations are working around the clock to end period poverty in Nigeria and promote menstrual justice and health equity for all. Here are ten menstrual justice organizations working for health equity in Nigeria;
- Jaytee Fayemi Foundation (JTF)
The Jaytee Fayemi Foundation (JTF) is a non-profit organization established in 2020 by Jesutofunmi Fayemi. The foundation is dedicated to empowering young girls and women in Nigeria, focusing on menstrual health as a basic right rather than a privilege. JTF’s initiatives include conducting awareness seminars, educational programs, and community outreaches to promote menstrual hygiene and combat period poverty. They work closely with schools, communities, and government bodies to ensure that girls have access to essential menstrual products and are equipped with the knowledge to manage their periods with dignity. The foundation has reached over 5,000 individuals across Nigeria, striving to eliminate stigmatization and support menstrual equity in rural and underserved areas. They actively work to end period poverty by providing menstrual hygiene resources to girls and women, ensuring increased access to safe period products in rural communities. - Health Aid For All Initiative (HAFAI)
HAFAI is a non-governmental and non-profit organization in Nigeria founded by Dr. Ugochi Ohajuruka, primarily focused on health equity for all. It centers on human rights and girl child education, including adolescent health, sexual health, menstrual hygiene solutions as well as the fight against Female Genital Mutilation. Also, they are advocates against early child marriages, teenage pregnancies, and sexual abuse. HAFAI actively promotes sustainable menstrual hygiene solutions to keep Nigerian girls in school by providing them with reusable menstrual kits, thereby enhancing health equity. They focus on delivering menstrual hygiene management solutions to Nigerian school girls, orienting them about menstruation, sexual rights, gender, HIV/AIDS, child marriages, and female genital mutilation. - Emmanuel Osemota Foundation (EOF)
Emmanuel Osemota Foundation (EOF) is an African non-profit organization focused on empowering all people equally. The foundation actively provides sanitary pads to girls in need all over Nigeria and other neighboring countries every quarter. This charity action empowers the girl child with the confidence to attend school during her menstrual cycle, overcoming the stigma associated with periods. EOF is all about consistently providing these girl access to safe menstrual hygiene products. - Tabitha Cumi Foundation (TCF)
Tabitha Cumi Foundation (TCF) founded by Procter and Gamble is a non-governmental organization in Nigeria known for empowering underprivileged women and girls, enabling them to function effectively in society. They are involved in creating health awareness for
girls and women, by educating and mentoring them on safe health practices, including both sexual and menstrual health. They focus on driving inclusion in menstruation by hosting advocacy events on menstrual hygiene management. TCF is all about raising the quality of life of women and girls in Nigeria. - GEANCO Foundation
GEANCO Foundation, founded by Dr. Godwin Onyema is a non-governmental organization focused on providing mental and menstrual health support to teenagers and youth in Nigeria and all over Africa. They are in partnership with the Archewell Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to end period poverty among young girls and women in Nigeria. In addition to this, they also provide scholarships including tuition, medical care, social support, and counseling to underprivileged young females to help empower them. - The EME Foundation
The EME Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on eradicating period poverty among females in Nigeria. The foundation works actively to ensure that access to safe reusable period products is increased for young girls to help them stay in school. Also, they conduct advocacy programs in schools to educate females on menstrual health management, reducing any form of stigma and boosting confidence. Not only females are given menstrual education, but boys are not left out of the literacy programs. The boys also learn about menstrual health and rights, debunking any form of menstrual taboos engraved in their minds, and promoting period equity. - PadUp Africa
PadUp Africa, a non-profit NGO standing on the mandate of sensitizing and supporting young girls and women on good menstrual hygiene management, providing them with safe period products. Recording about 12,000 girls impacted, they have proven to be one of the leading NGOs concerned about menstrual health and justice in Nigeria and beyond. They organize menstrual hygiene campaigns to sensitize young girls and women on menstrual health. Advocacy projects like Walk for Pad 2.0, PadUp Africa Conference, and Pads4Her Support Programme are currently ongoing to support and educate women on menstrual health. - FAB Treasure Foundation
FAB Treasure is an NGO with the sole purpose of empowering women and girls. They focus on curbing the taboo and stigma surrounding menstruation, alienating period poverty, and educating young women and girls on good menstrual hygiene management with principles aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They provide young girls with access to safe period products. Their project, PAB with FAB is centered on reducing any form of stigma associated with menstruation through menstrual literacy. - Maden Healthcare Foundation
Maden Healthcare Foundation, founded in 2015 by Dr. Ese Agbatutu is a nongovernmental organization committed to ensuring health equity for all. They focus on conducting advocacy programs on menstrual hygiene to support all girls and alienate period poverty. The menstrual hygiene project initiative has impacted the lives of 5000+ females so far, with about 112 menstrual hygiene kits successfully distributed. They recently conducted a nationwide campaign about menstrual hygiene in Nigeria to commemorate the World Menstrual Hygiene Day from May 21st to June 2nd, 2024. The awareness reached over 7,200 females and 35 schools. - The Glea Network
The Glea Network is a community of vibrant minds committed to empowering girls for a brighter future. They focus on ensuring that every girl child is fully equipped with the necessary knowledge and tools needed to succeed by providing access to quality education, conducting advocacy and awareness programs on the rights of the girl child, connecting girls with experienced mentors for guidance, and providing the girls with an inclusive community to foster relationships. The Glea Network is all about educating, empowering, and engaging the girl child for a brighter future.
Wrap Up
The above-mentioned organizations and more are actively working to eradicate period poverty in Nigeria and also end any form of stigma and taboo surrounding menstruation. Thereby promoting menstrual justice and health equity for women and girls.